RBC Canadian Open preview

Tim Clark defends RBC Canadian Open

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 21 July 2015

The PGA Tour has travelled to Ontario this week for the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville. Tim Clark of South Africa is the defending champion.

Lowdown: The PGA Tour has travelled to Ontario this week for the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville. Tim Clark of South Africa is the defending champion.

A number of those who contested The Open Championship at St Andrews have made the journey back across the Atlantic to compete in this event. Those players include: Jason Day, Luke Donald, Matt Kuchar and Bubba Watson.

This is an historic tournament that began life back in 1904. Since that time, there have been many famous winners of the event. In fact, the roll call of champions reads like a who’s who of golfing legends: Tommy Armour, Walter Hagen, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Bobby Locke, Arnold Palmer, Bob Charles, Lee Trevino, Tom Weiskopf, Greg Norman, Curtis Strange, Nick Price, Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Jim Furyk have all been winners.

Last year at Royal Montreal Golf Club, South Africa’s Tim Clark birdied five of his last eight holes to win by a single stroke from Jim Furyk of the USA.

This will be the 27th time Glen Abbey has been used for this tournament. A Jack Nicklaus creation, the Canadian Open first visited in 1977.

The weather forecast for the week looks reasonable with high temperatures. Wind could be a factor though with gusty conditions predicted.

Venue: Glen Abbey GC, Oakville, Ontario, Can Date: Jul 23-26 Course stats: par 72, 7,253 yards Purse: $5,800,000 Winner: $1,044,000 Defending Champion: Tim Clark (-17)

TV Coverage: Thursday 23 – Sky Sports 4 from 8pm Friday 24 – Sky Sports 4 from 8pm Saturday 25 – Sky Sports 4 from 7pm Sunday 26 – Sky Sports 4 from 7pm

Player watch: Jason Day – After missing out on a playoff for The Open Championship by a single stroke, the Australian will be keen to ease his disappointment with a victory this time out.

Jason Day swing sequence:

Luke Donald – He’s back to something approaching his best form. He had good finishes in both The Open and the previous week’s Scottish Open. He’ll look to build on those results this week.

Matt Kuchar – Just missed out at Gullane two weeks ago and then made the cut, and played solidly at St Andrews. He was tied for second at Glen Abbey in 2013.

Key hole: 18th. A 524 yard par 5, it’s reachable in two for anybody in the field who gets a decent tee shot away. There’s definitely a possibility of someone recording an eagle three to win the tournament, but with water guarding the front of the green, it’s a risky shot to take on.

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Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

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